Elkathan sampson



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Letters Patent o. 62,691, dated March 5, 1867,

IMPROVED RAILROAD RAIL.

ro ALLWHOM rr MAY ooNonnN:

Be it known that I, ELNATHAN SAMPSON, of the town of Lansingburg, in thecountyof Rensselaer, State of New York, have invented a new and improvedRail for Railroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description thereof. I

The nature of my invention consists of using two bars or rails incombination, and so placed that the ends of either rail will come to thecentres of the others; and thusieach lapping the other half its length,alternate, forms acontinuous rail. One of these rails we callthc-supporting-or chair-rail. This rai may be made of ordinary iron, andwhen constructed of greater width on its bottom or base than ordinaryrails, thechair now used can be dispensed with, and in Athis case therail can be made from threelquarters to one inch lower than the railsnow used. VThe-top of this chair-rail is about one-halt` inch wide, andits out-track side is perpendicular, with a Hang-e of suitable Widthrunning out from it. Its in-track side is in form or outline, first, aslight angle, falling into a concave line, which runs outward, fallingdownwards toa point about two or two and onehalf inches from theperpendicular ofthe other sidc,and about ve-eighths of an inch from thelower line of 'the base, where it drops down slightly so as to form,with a rib which projects up, a groove about three-eighths of an inchdeep. The projecting rib is about ve-sixteenths of an inch in width onits face, its side running down perpendicular about lhali'ran inch tothe flange, which starts out from it. This chair-rail is secured tothe-ties. 'lhe other rail we call the track or bearing-rail. AThis railis made o'steelor a superior quality of iron, and of such height as toproject slightly above the top of the chair-rail, and of width to aord Vthe necessary face for the wheel to run on. The outline of an end viewof -this rail is on its top a iiatted curve, which'terminates at thepoint where it rests against the top of the in-track side of thechair-rail. From this point it runs down about half an inch,- slightlyvout of the perpendicular, in a line corresponding with the angle of thechair-rail, and then in a shallow ogee line tothe groove of thechair-rail, in which it sits, then curving upwards into-a concave line,which falls into a convex line, ending in the atted curved line of theface, giving the rail an appearance not unlike a comma, with its head ordot latted. This bearingirail is placed in the chair-rail, its loweredge resting in the g'roove of the chair-rail, and the angular edge ofthe top or face leaning against the angle of the chandail, and the Wholeface of the bearing rail contained Within a line running one-fourth ofaninch from and on a-perpendicular. with the bearing or lower edge of therail, so that whatever weight is brought to bear on the rail its centreof grayity will always be in a line between the rib and the inside line.of the chairrail, and necessarily press the bearing rail against it.IThe concave side of the chair-railwith the` ogee side of the bearingrail leaves, of necessity, a space between the two rails.A This space isfor the passage of air, which can circulate, andV thus, .t0 a -degree,lower the temperature to which the rail may be heated in the summermonths by solar action. l

In putting down these rails, the chair-rail is first laid down andproperly secured to the ties by spikes or bolts, as rails are 110Wsecured. The bearing-rail is-then put down, or rather set in thechair-rail, as described, its lower edge resting in its groove, theinside-edge of the face resting against the top ofthe concave side ofthe chair-rail, and at the saine time the ends of the ono rail meetingat the centres of the other; and when, thus placed they are securedtogether by square or oval head-bolts passed through the bearing-railtiret, then through the chair-rail, and tightened by nuts on theperpendicular -side, 'or by rivets, or their equivalents.

To en-able others skilled in the art to makeand use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being hadto the accompanyingdrawings, and the letters of reference markedthereon, the same letters referring to like parts. l l l Figures 1 and 2are perspective views of rails.

Figure is a top view shpwing joint-ings and fastenings.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 are a cross-section with wheels running straight andon curve.

A, iigs. l, 2, 3,-1, i3, is the chair-rail, made 0i' ordinary quality ofiron, and ot' the usial length of other rails, and in height from threeto four inches. The top of this rail, a, is about one-half in'ch wide,and made with a slight sloping curve, so that the wheel W, figs. 4, 5,and (i, will not touch it, and at the same time slide the dust and sandthat may fall on it oil, though, if thought best, the top linea may bemade straight or at right angles with the liuep, as shown in Figure 7,so that ifthe bcuring-rail be made of iron instead of steel, the wheelscan be carried over the jointings of the ends of the bearing-railwithout the jumping motion which usually attends the passing of thewheels over their ends where joined. The outside line l?, figs. 4, 5`and 6, falls perpendicular to the flztugef, which is inaile of suitablewidth and thickness. The inside line c is concave, and runs out to fullin the groove g, which is partly formed ofthe rib r', from whichthere'starts another flange, f', of width and'thickness of llange f.This ruil A is firmly secured to the ties 'l by inc tns of thc spihosorbolts, s s. This rail A supports and holds another rnil,"B, culled thebearing-rail. This rail is metile of thehest quality of iron, or steel.The top, a, of this rail is made acurve slightly lertted, so that thewheels will have sufficient ben-ring surf-uc?. The inside edge, z', ofthe head of the rail is slightly'bevelled, to moet the bevel or angle ofthe top of tl e concave line c of the rail A, gs. 1, 2., 4, 5, 6. Fromthe lower termination of this bevel line z', the lino turns under anddown, 'forming the ogee shape line, which terminates at the bottoni edgeof the rail at k. This bottom edge' k rests in the groove g. The outsideline of this rail, B, commencing at the face line, is'irst convex andthen concave, forming another ogee line, t, and terminates at the bottomedge Ic. The concavitjY of4 this line h permits the head of the bolt mto draw under edge of the head of the rail which Aprojects oifer, andprotects the bolt from contact with the lange of thc wheel W whenturning a curvo, as in iig. -5. The bottom edge lc, standing in thegroove g, projects out beyond the outer edge of the head of the rail, asshown by the dotted lines n, fig. 4so, Whatever pressureis brought tobear on the rail B, its centre of gravity, being between the concaveline e of the-rail A and the dotted line n, tends to press the rail B'harder against the rail A; and whcther'running in :t straight line, asinlig. 4, or on the outer track, iig. 5, or on the inner track, iig. 6,the bevel oi' the wheel W being always the same, does not nli'ect or'change line of the centre of gravity. The chair-rail A being first laidand secured,.z1s has been described, the rail B, with its lower edge,7c, in the groove g, and its edge, z',against the side of the top of A,is so placed that thcir'ends will. moet nt the centres of the rails A,iig. 3, nnd when so placed, the rails A and B are properly secured withthe bolts m m or rivets; and when thus placed, we have the space orpassage-way o running throughoutthe whole length of the rails. p

kThe advantages of this ruilfover others are these: first, we cnndispense with chairs; second., the chair-rail A can be made ofcommon orordinary iron', and yet be rendered safo by the rail B, which is ofsteel or of the best quality ofiron; third, a steel or a better qualityof iron rails can be nlorded at one-halfthe price they are noirobtained, as the quantity of that material is 'less than one-half inthis rail B than those ot' the various forms now used; fourth, thehearing-rail B can be taken out, when Worn, and replaced, in less thanvone-heli' the time now required to replace any other rail now in use;fifth, these rails, A and B combined, will support greater weight andresistgreuter strain than any other rail used, ns the bearing edge kreacts against the bevelled edge z', when pressure is brought upon it,and combined with the stili` support of the rail A will more eiectuallyresist the side strztin which attends the turning of curves by the trainwhen passing over the rails; sixth, the space o admits the circulationo'l air through the rail, and tends to counteract the expansive actionof thesun.

I do `not claim moltmg rails continuous, or fastening them with bolts,rivetsor their equivnlents.

I What I claim as my' invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isv 1. The chair-rail A, constructed with its sides P C, top a, grooveg, and rib r, together with the usual baise and tlzxnges, substantially'as set forth and described.

2. The beariug-rail B, constructed with its 'track face e, bevelledinner edge z', sides h L, bearing edge'k, .s'ubstantiallj,Y as set forthan-d'described. ELNATHAN SAMPSON.

Witnesses:

'ALEX Summit,

JAMES J. CLARK.

